Is your garden overrun with zucchini? This homemade Refrigerator Pickled Zucchini Recipe is for you.
Zucchini ribbons, pickling brine, and a day or two in the fridge produce the most amazing quick pickles ever.
Old-fashioned refrigerator pickles are the perfect topping for burgers and sandwiches. Have you tried grilled zucchini burgers? Perfect for summer.

RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS for these fridge pickles can be found at the bottom of this post.
Pickled Eggs are still my most popular recipe on the blog. If you have read that post, you would know I am NOT a canner/preserver per se. Quick pickles are my way to a great tasting condiment.
This time of year you can never have too many ways to use the zucchini crop. Although they are delicious, we can only eat so many zucchini muffins.
This Refrigerator Pickled Zucchini Recipe Is Easy
No-cook refrigerator pickles are perfect for people (like me) that don’t want all the work involved in the traditional canning method.
- Slice the zucchini into ribbons.
- Remove excess liquid (see recipe).
- Boil brine (this takes 5 minutes).
- Pack zucchini into jars.
- Add brine.
- Put the lid on the jar.
- Place in refrigerator.
- In a few days, you will have pickled zucchini.
To cut the zucchini into ribbons I used a spiralizer (affiliate). Do you have one? This really is a fun kitchen gadget.
It is great for making zoodles too. Greek Zoodle Salad is a favourite around here. If you are looking to cut some carbs out of your diet, try Zucchini Noodles with Shrimp for an easy weeknight dinner. Have you tried Zucchini Gazpacho?
If you are a fan of Caesar salad, then this Zucchini Caesar Salad is right up your alley. The perfect raw zucchini salad.
Pickling Tips
- Prepare the jars and lids (wash with hot, soapy water, rinse and dry).
- I even poured boiling water in mine just to make sure I got all the soap out.
- Wash and dry the zucchini before slicing.
- Tightly pack the ribbons into jars (leaving a bit of room at the top).
- Pour the HOT brine into the packed jars (chances are you will have extra brine).
- Lightly tap the jars to remove air bubbles, and top off with additional brine.
- Tightly seal the jars.
- Let the jars cool before placing in the refrigerator.
- Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before eating (pickles improve with age).
Feel free to experiment with the brine. Some recipes will use equal amounts of vinegar and water. For this pickled zucchini recipe, I used more vinegar than water.
The type of vinegar you use will produce different results as well. I used rice wine vinegar, but you can experiment with white vinegar, cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or a combination. It is best to avoid concentrated kinds of vinegar like malt or balsamic.
I did not include salt in my brine (but feel free to add some) since I used salt to remove excess liquid in the zucchini ribbons before placing them in the jar. I added a small amount of sugar, but you can omit that if you like.
Pickling spice is the flavouring in this recipe. Feel free to experiment with fresh herbs such as dill, thyme, or rosemary (add them to the jar before pouring in the brine).
Whole spices such as mustard seed, peppercorns, or chili flakes work great in the brine (especially if you want to add a bit of spicy heat). If you like garlic, by all means, add that too.
Here is a great article on common pickling mistakes.
After a few days in the fridge, I was eager to see how these tasted. Hubby grilled up some Octoberfest sausages for the taste test. I stuffed a bun with that juicy sausage, topped it with honey mustard, and piled on these zucchini pickles. WOW! They had a nice tang, and are the perfect alternative to sauerkraut.
Try making quick pickled onions, they are perfect for burgers and sandwiches. Check out this Homemade Burger Roundup!!
This pickle roundup is packed with lots of great ideas. Did you know you can pickle fruit too?
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Quick Pickle FAQ
Normally about two months. They will begin to lose some crunch over time. They should always be kept in the fridge.
White distilled vinegar is the norm for pickling vinegar.
Yes, you can reuse it to make another batch of refrigerator pickles, but not canned/fermented pickles.
Refrigerator Pickled Zucchini Recipe
Ingredients
- 25 ounces zucchini (sliced into ribbons)
- 1 teaspoons Kosher salt
For the Brine:
- 1 cup rice wine vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons pickling spice
Instructions
Prepare The Jars:
- Wash jars and lids with hot soapy water and rinse well.
- You can also then pour boiling water into the jars to ensure all the soup is out.
- Let air dry, or dry with a cloth.
To Prepare The Zucchini:
- Wash and dry zucchini.
- Slice into ribbons.
- Place in a colander, sprinkle with salt, mix with your hands to distribute.
- Let sit for 10-15 minutes to drain excess liquid.DO NOT RINSE (that is why I did not add salt to the brine).
- Place zucchini ribbons in a kitchen towel, and squeeze to drain the liquid.
- Pack tightly into jars, leaving a bit of room at the top.
To Make The Brine:
- Combine vinegar, water, sugar and pickling spice into a small pot.
- Bring to a boil, and boil for about 2 minutes (to dissolve the sugar).
- Remove from heat, and let cool for a couple of minutes.
- Pour over the zucchini ribbons in the jar. (I used a knife to move the zucchini a bit so the brine could get all the way down and around the zucchini.)
- Be sure to add some of the pickling spice throughout the jar.
- Tap the jar slightly to release any air bubbles. You will likely be able to add a bit more brine to the jar at this point.
- Tightly seal.
- Let cool to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator.Let sit in the fridge for at least 24 hours (the longer the better).
Lisa
I’m eager to try these but I need to know if rice vinegar is the same thing as rice wine vinegar ? I will need to pick up some of the rice wine if not. Thanks and love your recipes!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I sent you an email, but yes they are the same. These pickles are so delicious. ENJOY!
Courtney
Great recipe! Making for the second time today. My husband was annoyed with the ribbons so I’m chipping this time but they were pretty as ribbons. I also have an abundance of hot peppers so added one of those chopped up with some garlic to the brine. Next I’m on to zucchini “apple” pie! Soooooo much zucchini, I’m thankful for the creative recipes!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Zucchini season is so good. Lots of delicious recipes to make for sure. Glad you enjoyed these pickled zucchini ribbons.
Amy Liu Dong
This is so easy and delicious! I need to make this for our sandwiches.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
YES, this is the perfect sandwich condiment.
Mel
I don’t see any reason why these couldn’t be canned? I’ve canned A LOT of pickles using zucchini and the ingredients are basically the same. Why do you say not to can?
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Hello Meg….this is a quick pickle recipe. I have not used a water bath or sealed the pickles for long storage. If you make lots of regular canned pickles, you will know what I mean. This recipe is not for long storage. Feel free to adapt it to fit your “true canning” needs. Yes the ingredients are the same, it is the method that is not. Hope this helps.
Judy
Can I process these in my canner
Not a lot of room in my fridge!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Hello Judy. NO this is not a canner recipe. This is a QUICK PICKLE recipe.
CHRISTINE ROPPEL
Love this recipe. I do have 2 questions:
1. can I cut into spears
and 2. can I use white vinegar?
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
This recipe is for zucchini ribbons. Are you looking to make zucchini pickles? The pickling time would increase and yes you can use white vinegar if you like.
Loreto and Nicoletta
I love pickles! As a matter of fact we have a spiralizer too! I love the brine and those ribbons of zucchini are fabulous, I could see this on a charcuterie board, or better yet and a lovely grilled hotdog or hamburger! Thanks for sharing, zucchini is in total abundance now. So perfect timing! Thanks for the zuccinspiration, lol!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You are very welcome. I love the idea of putting these on a charcuterie board. ENJOY!
Marisa Franca
We love our zoodles and pickles. So, when I saw this recipe I knew that I’d have to make it. So I did. It was so easy. Now, I have several jars in the fridge just waiting to be put on our sandwiches. Great way to use up those garden zucchini. This recipe is certainly a keeper.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
These zucchini ribbons are the perfect summer condiment.
Ramona
I love pickled zucchini and I also love making it myself! I will definitely be using this recipe the next time I will make pickled zucchini. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
You are very welcome. This pickled zucchini is such an easy recipe to make.
Brianna
Never thought to make zucchini pickles! I have a bumper crop of zucchini and can’t wait to see how they turn out!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Well, this zucchini recipe is just what you need.
Marie
This is such a genius way to use up extra summer squashes! I love pickles with all my heart, so I know I’d love your recipe. This is the first thing I’ll be making when the first of my garden zucchini are ready to pick! Can’t wait to use this condiment in burgers, sandwiches, wraps, and salads!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
These zucchini ribbons are such a great alternative to dill pickles. ENJOY!
Natalia
I’m a huge fan of zucchini and I just bought a whole bunch of them the other day. My family loves pickled veggies. Definitely going to give this a go, thank you so much for the recipe!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I hope your family enjoys these zucchini pickles are much as we do.
Amy Liu Dong
Glad to see this recipe. Now, I can make another recipe using zucchini. I love it. Thank you!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
ENJOY….these are a great condiment for all your grilling recipes.
Sharon
I love how simple this pickled zucchini recipe is. Great for using up my garden zucchini so I can have it on hand for salads and sandwiches.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I love how easy this pickled zucchini recipe is too. ENJOY.